Soldering iron



June 3 1924. 1,496,077

w. A. WHIPPLE SOLDERING- IRON Filed June 14. 1923 'tion, as shown, to be fitted in Patented June 3, 1924.

UNITED" PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS A. WHIPPIIE, orcIIIcAGo, InnI'ivoIs, ASSIGNOR T0 BLEADON-DUN COMPANY,

. or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

ISOLDERING IRON.

Application filed June 14, 1923. Serial No. 645,241.-

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WVILLIs A. Burns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inSoldering Irons, of which the following is aspecification. j

his invention relates to improvementsin electrically heated soldering irons .and has or its principal object to produce an improved device of the class described which is simple and economical in construction and operation. I

More specifically my plates the manufacture of a device of the class described by the process of forming, in combination with an electrical heating element,'a sheet metal blank, to produce a finished article much cheaper than electric devices heretofore have been produced for similar purposes.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form in which it may be embodied.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a soldering iron constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View of a sheet metal blank from which the main portion of the device is formed.

Figure 4 is a view of the blank in partially formed condition with portions broken away and showing a portion of the heating element in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is an enlarged end of the iron before the eration.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but after the final pressing operation.

The main elements of my improved soldering iron comprise a head 10, a shank 11 and a handle 12. The electric heating device comprises a resistance element 13 which may be of any ordinary form including coils of resistance wire insulated by suitable means such as mica sheets. The resistance element is preferably formed in a relatively flat secthe head 10 as it is finally formed, as will now be described.

The head 10 and shank 11 are preferably formed of one piece of sheet metal. For this purpose a blank A is shaped substantialinvention contemdetail view of the final pressing op- .15 is provided Figure 3, in which a portion to form the head 10, and the portion 16 is provided to form the shank 11. By forming operations of the usual kind, preferably by machinery, the side margins 17, 17, of portion 15 are turned upwardly and the side margins 18, 18 of portion 16 are also turned upwardly, substantially as shown in Figure a. The central part of portion 16 may also be conca-ved to extend a short distance into the flat central part of port-ion 15 to form a shoulder, as shown. With the parts in this form, the resistance element 13 may be fitted in the head,which is of proper dimensions to receive said element between the side margins 17, 17 thereof, but at a distance from the working point 20. The conductors 14, 1 1 of saidresistance element are also'inserted between the walls 18, 18 of shank 16. The walls 17,v 17 are then folded over the resistance element, with their margins meeting substantially on the center line. The walls 18, 18 of the shank are also closed together, preferably in a tubular form, as shown, with the conductors 14, 14, extending therethrough. The folded walls 17, 17 at the extreme point of the head and beyond the heating element 13 are finally pressed against the lower wall, as shown in ly as shown in of substantial thickness, for the application of solder in the usual manner. 12 may be of any suitable form and construction, as for example, it may comprise a hollow piece of heat resisting material convenient in shape, with shank 11 fitted into one end and with conductors 14c, 14 extending therethrough for connection with a source of current in the usual manner.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the operations necessary for forming the blank described are readily accomplished by machinery including suitable forming dies, and that the several operations may be performed singly, or more than one operation may be performed simultaneously, by means of compound dies, without departing from my invention. It will be further obvious that the shank 11 might be shaped in hollow form before the heating element 13 is applied, in which case the conductors 14;, 14 would be inserted through the shank.

A soldering iron constructed as above described; is especially suited for relatively shanlmfdrmedaof. {a blank ofzsheet metal, said light work. It can be produced in" large hadbeingflildd laterally in double thickquantities, being extremely simple and re ness'es with' their forward margins pressed quiring a minimum of labor andmaterial in together to form .a pointed .working end,.and 35 5 its manufacture, so that-its cost may be .re-. an irisnlatedfelctric.heating element conduced far below that of the more complitainedbetweenthe two thicknesses of metal cated electric devices now in generaluse for: -'rearwardly of said working end. a siInilar purpose. 5. The method of forming the head and I claim as my IHVGHtlOIL; shank of a soldering iron from a single blank 40 1. A soldering iron comprising an insuof sheet metal, which consists in folding a latedelectric heating element,a headand a portion of saidblank 111130 a plurality of shank, said head and shank b'eing formed of thicknesses to form a head, and formingana single piece-of sheetmetal' folded over and other-portion of' saidibla-nk into a shank enclosing"said"heating element within said' havingdtsiwalls cnrved'in cross section. 45 head. The: method of/ fo'rmmg the head and ringgiron; which consists 2. A soldering iron comprising a headand shank i a shank formed *of a blank -of sheet metali heilateralfmargins of a sheet folded laterallyto formsaid headindouble- 5 fornr va plnrality of thickthickness, andian insulated electricheating-i nessesoi=metal iflltliexiiead) 5 element contalned between the two-thick 7 The method-ofmakrng electric soldernesses of met'alz' ing :ir0ns',* which: comprises forming a hea 3. A -soldering iron comprising a head-and" of 'double thicknesses of'sheet metal, with a shank formed of-a blank'ofsheet metal, said space therebetween for an electric heatinghead being'iolded'in double thickness; andelement, said element-being placed at a dis- 55 said: shank bei-ng 'f ormed with alongitudinal' tance from the workingend of said head,

passageway therethrough, an electric heatand thereafter pressing the metal platesbe ing element insaidhead enclosed between yond th'e limitsof said heating element tothe two thicknesses of -metai, and provided gether to close said-head 'at its working end.- with "conductors passing 'thro'ugh the pas- In' witnesss whereof; I hereunto subscribe 60 sagewayin said shankfi my namethis6 day of alune, A; 1)., 1923. 4; A soldering iron comprising a head-and As WiI-IIPPLE. 

